K 283 
S35 



MOW TO BUILD 

A 
WATER SNARE 



"By 

G. Fo Sclheefflel 




Copyright, 1922 
by 

G. F. SCHENFIELD 



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On the following pages I am going to try and show you how 
to build what I call a water snare, which if properly constructed 
will take the first otter, mink or muskrat that passes, going either 
up or down stream. I will also describe a marten and fisher snare 
that I originated several years ago. 

Some trappers, in fact most of them, place no confidence at all 
in a deadfall or snare. For my part I prefer a deadfall every 
time where it is possible to use one, for if it is properly made and 
given time to season it will take and hold anything, with two ex- 
ceptions, fox and wolf, and will take the smartest old mink that 
ever turned up his whiskers at the best steel trap, land set, you 
ever made. • 

The two deadfalls I am going to describe would hardly do for 
mink, and the remarks I just made refer to other and differently 
constructed deadfalls. 

And here Is a point in favor of deadfalls and snares. It is this: 
You always have to go way back from civilization for marten and 
fisher. If you depend on steel traps it doesn't take many of them 
to weigh a dickens of a lot, and they will weigh twice as much 
coming out in the spring as they did going in the fall before. 

If you go in prepared to build wire deadfalls, you need nothing 
more than a few staples and a little wire to make deadfalls that 
are sure of holding anything that springs them. 

It is possible for the jaw of a steel trap to throw an animal's 
foot out and only catch him by a toe or claw, in which case you 
don't get him. 

And when you come out of the big woods in the spring you 
can leave your line with an easy mind. "Johnnie Sneekum" won't 
get away with many of your deadfalls, and if you never go back 
you won't be losing much. 

All this talk about what I think isn't getting us very far, so 
what do you say we build a deadfall? 

G. F. S. 



A M^rtee ^ed Fisheir De 

Cut a pole about 6 inches in diameter at the butt end and 18 
feet long. Trim it of 'branches up to within a few feet of the 
small end and wire it to another pole or small tree about four 
feet from the ground with about 6 feet of the large end extend- 
ing beyond the tree, as in Fig. 1, Plate 1. 

Cut and trim another pole the same size and about 12 feet 
long and secure it with strong wire to the under side of the first 
pole so it can be raised and lowered, as in Fig. 2, Plate 1. Then 
make a loop of wire 6 inches wide and 20 inches long, as in Fig. 
3, Plate 1. ^,, j 

Lift the short pole up that is wired to the under side of the 
first pole that you fastened to the tree and slip the wire over the 
end of the two poles, as at A, Fig. 4, Plate 1. Drive a couple of 
staples into the under side of the lower pole (drive them in tight) 
to secure the loop, and then drive one on each side of the upper 
pole to act as guides for the loop to slide through. Fig. 5 is an 
end view of the two poles, AA is the two poles, B is the loop of 
wire, C is the staples driven into the bottom pole to hold the wire 
loop, and D shows the two staples in the sides of the upper pole. 
Do not drive them in over half way, or be sure that they are loose 
enough that the loops can slip through them. 

Fig. 6 shows the lower pole raiseci up close under the upper 
pole. AA the poles, B wire loop, C staples securing loop to lower 
pole, and D guide staples in the upper pole. 

Now place two more loops back of the first one, as shown in 
Fig. 7, and secure them as you did the first one; notice Fig 7, A, 
shows the staples in the lower pole driven in tight, and B is the 
staple in the upper pole driven in half way for a guide. 

Now you will see that by raising the lower pole up under the 
upper pole and fitting a set of triggers under the first loop as in 
Fig. 8 (I have always used the old figure four triggers) , you have 
a marten and fisher deadfall that is hard to beat. It is up off 
the ground, away from the mice and out of any ordinary snow, 
and it can be raised still higher in case of an extra heavy snow. 

Lean a heavy limb or piece of pole against the upper pole, a 
foot or so back of the loops, for the marten to climb. He crawls 







Fisher in a wire deadfall 




Marten in a wire deadfall 



along the upper pole under the loops to get at the bait, and when 
he trips the triggers the lower pole falls, bringing the two loops 
down across his back. 

As a matter of fact, three back loops are better than two for 
a fisher is so much larger and stronger than a marten that I have 
had them crawl out from under the second loop, and found them 
with only one loop holding them across the hips. Notice the 
photograph of a fisher in a deadfall on another page. 

You can easily put a roof o\'er the business end of the deadfall 
by nailing four forked sticks upright on the upper pole, one on 
each side out at the end and one on each side a few inches back 
of the last loop; then place a couple of sticks in the forks with a 
few boughs on top, which will protect the triggers from snow 
and the bait from sonic birds. If you know of any Avay to pro- 
tect or hide a bait from a magpie, a bluejay or a camprobber 
(whiskey-jack) please let me in on it. 

For wire I have used ordinary galvanized telephone wire, but 
I suppose that baling wire would do if it was sound and not too 
badly rusted. 



A Msirtee aed Fi§!h©ir Sear© 

If I have any preference at all between the deadfall I just de- 
scribed and the snare we are going to try now, it is in favor of 
this snare, but it is going to be hard to explain, not that there is 
anything complicated about it, but my ability was badly strained 
explaining that deadfall and it may break on this snare. 
Let's go. 

In the first place we need two triggers. Make them of stiff 
wire, about as heavy as an 8D common nail, or a trifle heavier. 
Cut a piece about 5 inches long and bend it as shown in Fig. 1, 
Plate 2. Cut another piece and shape it as shown in F^ig 2, 
Plate 2. 

Pick out a tree about 7 inches in diameter and peel the bark 
off a spot 3 inches wide and 8 inches long. Do this about 5 feet 
from the ground. Now slip a small staple through the ring in 
the first trigger you made and drive it into the center of the 
peeled spot on the tree, about 2 inches from the lower edge. See 
Fig. 3, Plate 2. A is the trigger, B is the staple. 

Hold the second trigger up on the peeled spot so that the long 



end extends one-quarter of an Inch below the upper end of the 
first trigger, and drive a 6D nail into the tree in the angle of the 
loop in the second trigger; leave one-half inch of the nail sticking 
out. Notice Fig. 4. A shows the location of this nail. 

Cut the heads off two smaller nails and drive one in on the 
left-hand side of the upper end of trigger No. 1 just below the 
end of trigger No. 2, so that when trigger No. 2 swings around 
to the left pivoted on nail A, Fig. 4, it will not strike it. B, f^ig. 
4, shows the location of this nail; let it stick out one-half inch. 

Drive the other headless nail in on the right-hand side of the 
second trigger just above the upper end of trigger No. 1 ; leave 
about three-quarters of an inch sticking out, and bend it over 
trigger No. 2 to the left, so it forms a hook to hold trigger No. 
2 close to the tree. Do not bend it so tight that the trigger can't 
slip out to the left. It swings to the left pivoted on nail A, Fig. 
4, when the lower end of trigger No. 1, which holds the bait, is 
jerked down. The curved line and arrow in Fig. 5 shows the 
swing of trigger No. 2. 

Consider the side of the tree that you put these triggers on 
as the front of the tree. Now make a loop of wire on the tree so 
that standing on the front side and pulling loop tight against the 
back of tree, it will extend out in front about 10 inches. Do not 
make a slip-knot, but twist it tight, leaving an end of wire about 
20 inches long. Note Fig. 6. A is a cross-section of tree, B is 
the wire loop, and D is the 20-inch end of wire you left on 
the loop. I 

On each side of the tree and about 8 inches below the lower 
end of trigger No. 1, remove the bark from two spots as large 
as your hand and then hold the loop there and drive in two 
staples about half way and about one and one-half inches apart. 
They are to act as guides for the loop to slide through. CC in 
Figs. 6 and 7 show these staples. 

Cut a pole about 5 or 6 inches in diameter and lay it at the 
back of the tree with the small end extending to the left. Lift 
this pole and wire the loop to it about 1 foot from the end, using 
the 20-inch end of wire you left on the loop. Of course, I mean 
the large end of the pole. 

Drop the pole now and it will jerk the loop tight against the 
tree. Notice Pig 8. A is the tree, B the loop, and C the end of 
the drop pole. Drive two nails about where the two dots are 
(located by arrows D in Fig. 8), so that when the drop pole falls 

7 



the wire loop won't bend so sharp o\'er the staples. Notice Fig. 
9. A little experimenting will show you where these two nails 
should go. Lift the drop pole until it is just back of or on a 
level with the two guide staples. Prop a stick under it to hold it 
there, then twist a piece of wire in the loop or ring in trigger 
No. 2, hook the trigger over nail A, Fig. 4, hold it there with 
your left hand and draw wire tight down to the drop pole and 
wire it to the pole about half way between the end of the pole and 
where the loop is fastened. 

Now slip the upper end of trigger No. 1 in between the lower 
end of trigger No. 2 and nail B, Pig. 4; hold it there while you 
remove the stick you placed under the drop pole, and the snare 

is set. 

Bend the end of trigger No. 1 into a hook as shown in Fig. 7, 
spear the bait on this hook and nail a small "bushy limb on the side 
of the tree to form a sort of roof over the bait to hide it from 
birds. Lean a piece of pole against the tree so that the upper 
end is about eight inches below the loop, anci any marten or fisher 
that clim'bs up and touches the bait jars the upper end of trigger 
No. 1 away from trigger No. 2, it flips around nail A, Fig. 4, and 
the drop pole will fall, jerking the loop tight. 

The snare is as fast as lightning and anything that springs it 
will never get out, as it trips so fast and hard, and as the two 
guide staples and the two nails, D. Fig. 8, are not roller- 
bearing pulleys, it won't give an inch of slack to anything it once 
springs on. 

This description is long anci tiresome, but a little study will 
make it plain, and after you have made one or two you can put 
them up in a few minutes. I have built sixteen a day on short 
winter days, but of course I had the triggers already made. 

You can regulate the tripping of the snare (make it trip heavy 
or light) by using a shorter or longer No. 2 trigger, and it will 
work better if you peel the bark off the back of the tree where the 
drop pole rubs against the tree. 

I have never used this snare for anything but marten and iisher, 
but it will work equally as well on anything else with a few excep- 
tions, as for instance, fox, mink and otter. 




Nine feet of snow 




Camp 



PlrteS. 



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This water snare will take longer to build than the deadfall 
and snare we just finished, but it is worth every bit of the time it 
takes. It all depends on the width of the stream you put it on — 
the wider the stream, the longer it will take to build. 

Find a place where the water is about 2 feet deep next to a 
bank that is about 18 inches high. If it Is much higher than that 
it will be quite a job to set the snare and remove fur from it from 
off the bank. If you wear rubber boots on your trap line "you 
should worry" a'bout wet feet. 

And if it is a wicie stream, try and find this 2 feet of water, 
next to a bank 18 inches high, in the narrowest place on the 
stream. It would be better if the water is fairly still, or if it has 
any current it should be steady — no eddies or cross-currents. 

Cut and sharpen a lot of stakes, the larger they are in diameter 
the better. Drive them in the stream as shown in Fig 1, Plate 3. 
The small circles or dots represent stakes and they should be 
driven on a little slant outward, as the heavy arrows in Fig. 1 
indicate, so that anything coming up or down stream will not be 
able to climb them, but will be forced to go through the opening 
marked A, Fig. 1, Plate 3. 

The stakes forming the two sides of the opening A should be 
driven in straight, and be sure to leave out two or three on the 
side next to the bank. See D, Fig 8, Plate 4. You can reach 
through that opening to set the snare and remove fur. 

All the stakes should extend at least 18 inches above the water. 
If the shallow side of the stream has a high bank that a mink 
can't climb, just run the fence to it and stop. If not, you will 
have to run the fence back a way, either with the stakes or with 
logs or brush. The idea is to force the "varmint" into the water 
and through the opening A, Fig. 1, Plate 3. 

Cut a log about 10 feet long and 10 inches in diameter at the 
large end. Float it in the water to find which side lays up and 
mark that side for the top. Now about 2 feet back from the 
large end saw and chop a notch in this top side as shown in Fig. 2, 
Plate 3. A shows how it appears looking down on it, and B 

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looking at it from the side. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show only a couple 
of feet of the large end of the log. 

Chop a hole through the log, in the notch, as indicated by the 
shaded portion in Fig. 3. Pvlake it 2 inches wide and 3 inches 
long, and place it three-quarters of an inch from the edge of the 
notch marked X, Fig. 3. Turn the log over and trim the edges 
of the hole as indicated by the heavy arrows in Figs. 3 and 4. 

Trim the four edges of the hole in this manner, but do not 
run the bevel in over 2 inches. See Fig. 4. 

Cut the head oft an 8D nail and drive it into the end of the 
notch about half way from the bottom to the top and even with 
the center of the hole you cut through the log. The arrows 
marked A in Figs. 3 and 4 locate the nail. Leave a half-inch or 
more sticking out. 

Now find two limbs, something sound and strong, about three- 
quarters of an inch in diameter, with a bend or kink in them 
about as illustrated in F'ig. 5 ; flatten with a knife about 3 inches 
of the end of each one on both sides. Do not thin them down 
to less than one-half inch. The shaded portion in Fig. 5 shows 
this. 

Drill a small hole in each one (about one-eighth inch) just 
5^ inches from the inside of the bend, as in B, Fig. 5. 

Take a piece of soft wood 2x2x9 inches long and cut a slot in 
one end and a notch around the other end, as illustrated in Fig. 6, 
then drill a small hole through both prongs of the slot as shown 
at A, Fig. 6. Now if the ends of the two crooked sticks are about 
one-half inch thick where you flattened them down and the slot 
in the 2x2x9 is 1 inch wide, slip the two sticks into slot and put an 
8D nail through the hole in the 2x2x9, through the holes in the 
two sticks and out through the hole on the other side of the 
2x2x9. Either bend the nail over or rivet it there. See Fig. 7, 
Plate 4. 

Now fit a stick, A, Fig. 7, Plate 4, between the ends of the 
two prongs and stretch catgut (old leaders used in fishing) back 
and forth between them, either through holes drilled in the prongs 
or tie them in notches cut for that purpose about an inch apart. 
See Fig. 7, Plate 4. The two that run up and down should be 
knotted to each one running crossways to keep them from spread- 
ing. Soak the catgut for an hour before you use it, and stretch 
it as tight as you can without breaking it. 

13 



Now with the stick between the lower ends of the prongs and 
the catgut still stretched tight, drill a small hole through the 
front half of the 2x2x9, as at C, Fig. 7, and one on the other 
side at D, Fig. 7. See also E and F, Fig. 6. Now a small 
wooden peg (about the size of a match stem should be right) 
placed in each one of the holes flush with the outside and allowed 
to extend in far enough to catch the upper end of the prongs, will 
hold them rigid as long as the snare is set, but should be light 
enough to break and allow the prongs to fold together when the 
snare is tripped. 

Double a piece of strong wire and twist it for about 2 inches, 
which will make an eye, as at B, Fig. 6. Twist it around the 
2x2x9 in the notch you cut near one enci. Let the loop or ring 
extend about 1 inch beyond the end and see that the loop is on 
the side of the 2x2x9 that has the head of the nail. 

Now launch your large log and float the large end down into 
the opening in the fence marked A, Fig. 1, with the 2x3-inch 
hole in the center of the opening A. That would be 18 inches 
from each end. Secure it there by running a wire from the upper 
end of the log upstream to a stake near the bank and under water 
if possible, and wire a stick to the end of the log and over to 
the bank to hold it the proper distance from the bank. See Fig. 8, 
Plate 4. A is the log, B the wire upstream and C the stick hold- 
ing it from the bank. 

Cut a balance-pole about 8 inches in diameter at the large end 
and about 18 feet long. Lay a piece of log or rock on the bank 
for it to balance over and lay it with the small end out over the 
opening. A, Fig. 1. See Fig. 9. A is the balance-pole, B the 
short log for it to balance over. 

Cut a length of pole 4 inches in diameter and 2 Vj feet long 
and wire it to the under side of the balance-pole. See Fig. 9. C 
is the short piece of pole. 

Double another piece of strong wire, twist it for about 3 inches 
and shape the twisted end into a hook, then twist the other end 
around the center of the piece you just fastened to the balance- 
pole. The hook should be directly underneath in the center. E, 
Fig. 10, locates this hook. 

Now prop the back end of the balance-pole up until the under 
side of the short cross-piece is just 18 inches from the top side of 
the large log. The hook on the under side of the cross-piece 
should be directly over the headless nail in the notch in the large 

14 



log. See A, Fig 3, Plate 3. Put four loops (galvanized tele- 
phone wire) over the cross-piece and down under the large log, 
as in Fig. 10. A is the balance-pole, B the short length of pole 
fastened to the small end of the balance-pole, C C C C are the 
four loops of wire, and D the large log. Secure these loops to 
the pole, B, Fig. 10, with a couple of staples and drive a staple 
into each side of the large log to act as guides for loops to slide 
through. 

Drive a heaciless nail into the 2x2x9 about 2 inches from the 
top end and on the same side that the head of the nail is on; 
that holds the two prongs. Leave about one-half sticking out 
and flatten the upper side a little with a file. 

It is hard for me to say just where this nail goes, but 2 inches 
should be a'bout right. 

Now if that "hickey" with the prongs and catgut (we will 
call it the trigger) is cocked, I mean the prongs spread apart 
and the catgut stretched tight and the two pegs are in the holes, 
D and C, Fig. 7, and the stick removed from between the lower 
ends of the prongs, take the trigger in your left hand, reach 
down under the large log and pass the end with the loop on it 
through the 2x3-inch hole in the large log, pull the balance-pole 
down with your right hand and slip the loop, C, Fig. 6, Plate 3, 
over the hook on the under side of the cross-piece. Then hook 
the nail, D, Fig. 6, Plate 3, on trigger under the nail, A, Fig. 3, 
Plate 3, in the notch in the large log and the snare is set. 

Fig. 12 shows the snare set. A is the trigger, B is the end of 
the large log, C is the end of the short cross-piece on the balance- 
pole, and D is the balance-pole. 

Fig. 13 shows the snare tripped. See also Fig. 11. 

Fig. 14 is a "close up" of the way the trigger mechanism is 
arranged. A is the large log, B is the cross-piece on the balance- 
pole that the loops are fastened to, C is the end of the balance- 
pole, and D is the hook on the under side of the cross-piece with 
the loop on the trigger hooked over it, E is the upper end of the 
trigger, and F is the flattened nail on the trigger hooked under 
the nail in the notch on the large log. See A, Fig. 3, Plate 3. 

Now when anything comes along (an otter, mink or muskrat) 
he is already in the water or is forced in by the fence. He in- 
vestigates the barrier until he notices the stronger current coming 
through the opening under the large log. He dives down, and 

15 



as the opening seems to be clear (for he can't see the catgut laced 
across the trigger), he tries to go through and bumps his nose 
against it. 

That jars the nail in the trigger from under the nail in the 
notch in the large log, up goes the balance-pole, and as soon as 
the prongs of the trigger come in contact with the edges of the 
hole in the large log the pegs break holding the prongs apart, 
they fold together and come up through the hole, and a'bout that 
time two of the wire loops are holding Mr. Whatever-it-is up 
against the under side of the log, where he soon drowns. 

You may have to study the drawings over several times to get 
the idea, and when you build it you may find some of the meas- 
urements I give are wrong, for I am doping this out from mem- 
ory, but after you get the idea you can figure out your own 
measurements in case any that I have given are wrong. 

It is a couple of days' work to make one, but it is worth while, 
for it will sure take them if built right. You can plan some sort 
of a barrier on top of the large log at each end of the opening, 
A, Fig. 1, Plate 3, so that they can't get through by climbing 
on top of the large log. See Fig. 8. The two crosses locate the 
place for the two barriers. 

Cover any wire or suspicious looking features of the snare 
with muti or leaves and splash lots of water on everything and 
leave it for a few weeks to season and look natural to the "v^ar- 
mints." And you might throw brush around over the fence in 
a careless manner to give it the appearance of a log or brush jam, 
being careful that none of it extends over the outside of the 
fence for them to climb over on. 

The idea is to stop the animal and force him to investigate 
the layout until he finds anci tries to go through the opening, 
A, Fig. 1. 

If you meet with any difficulty, either in building the snare or 
reading the drawings, I will gladly help you out. 

Just write me, explaining the part you don't understand, and 
I will try and make it clear. 



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